A Russian drone hit an apartment block in Galati, eastern Romania, early Friday morning, wounding two people and sparking a fire. The aircraft entered Romanian airspace and flew for approximately four minutes before impacting the residential building during a wider Russian attack on Ukraine.
The Romanian Defense Ministry confirmed radar detected the drone and it flew in Romanian airspace for approximately four minutes before crashing. The drone was part of a larger overnight attack launched by Russia against Ukraine.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte described Moscow’s “reckless behaviour” as a “danger to us all,” asserting that NATO is “ready to defend every inch” of its territory. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen added that Russia’s “war of aggression has crossed yet another line.”
Romania has summoned the Russian ambassador to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Romanian Foreign Minister Oana Toiu described the incident as a “serious and irresponsible escalation” and stated that the event should trigger NATO Article 4, the alliance’s consultative mechanism for threats to territorial integrity.
The incident follows a pattern of increasing Russian drone activity along NATO’s eastern flank. While the drone was part of a broader attack on Ukraine, its four-minute flight into Romanian airspace before hitting a residential building underlines the persistent risk of spillover in the region’s contested airspace.